


A Failed Experiment

by biotic_raptorian_angel



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 14:57:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14499492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biotic_raptorian_angel/pseuds/biotic_raptorian_angel





	A Failed Experiment

Everyone who had worked with or knew of Moira in a professional manner knew that she loved her genetic on hands experiments over simulated programmed sequences. She often did these with her little children, fluffy little rabbits, who were offered to her like candy. Each one was named, doted on and spoiled, if anyone had half a mind to consider they would think that these little rabbits were the only things Moira cared for. Each one had a serum of genetically modified nanites injected in them, all but one that is, her little Bonny. All the other rabbits she had been given were of the white variety with beady little red eyes, but Bonny was special, she had little gray speckles dotting her twitchy snout and ears. Bred for scientific experimentation, all these rabbits were related and all should have looked exactly the same, but here was Bonny the oddball and the one whose latent genetics out shined the others. So of course Moira saw this as a triumph in nature and chose her to be the base line specimen for any further tests. Her cage was a bit larger than the others, more bedding was provided and even a name plate attached to her barred door. The geneticist could be seen often enough talking with the little thing, even carrying it about the lab spewing sequences to the air expecting the rabbit to respond. But one fateful day all that changed. One wrong move, a wrongly labeled specimen and Moira's world would be turned upside down.

Her assistant was a right idiot and often mislabeled things, nothing of importance you see, but often enough that Moira herself double checked the work. Overwatch had been pressing her for more results in her DNA modifications, results that would put her work to practical use on the battlefield. So she was rushing around the lab, testing serum after serum hoping for the results she needed, but all were failures. Her last resort was to try her most experimental serum, one not yet tested and unfortunately all her rabbit subjects had been tested on and the chance of cross contamination was too great for proper hypothesis of outcomes. So she turned her eyes on Bonny, the one rabbit that was most dear to her heart, but truly pure of modifications and perfect for the test. Gently grabbing her from the cage she spoke softly, “Forgive me my little coinín. But I have no other choice and I promise I will make sure every day after this you will receive double treats.” A soft smile crossed her lips as she set the little one onto the lab counter, gathering up the serum and injection needle to ready it all. With a soft and slow inhale she pressed the needle to the little rabbits skin and injected the purple serum with a sigh. Rubbing at the spot she just poked, she shushed the poor creature as its nose twitched more and eyes looked up to her own. 

Those little black eyes shimmered with a bright purple of smoke, which was a sign that the serum was setting in. Her breaths were slow and attentive as she made notes of every reaction Bonny had, waiting for some grand change only to be staring at her for nearly a half hour with no changes. Exhaling a sigh of defeat she gathered up Bonny and moved to her desk to pet her absently like she always did when deep in thought. But once settled, the little rabbit squirmed and lashed out to bite at her right hand. Pulling away hard and yelping in pain, she cursed the little rabbit and bolted to cage her up as punishment. Bonny had never lashed out like that, she was always complacent of her activities and never paid mind to Moira's pettings. What had changed? As she ran the wound under the nearby sinks water, it bled a deep purple. “How odd.” Her attention turned to Bonny as she heard squeaking and rustling only to see the white and gray speckled rabbit turn a deep purple color from nose to cotton tail. “Brilliant!” But the excitement was outweighed by the heavy and foggy feeling in her head, falling to her knees in the lab she clutched at her right hand and watched in terror as the purple spread along her veins the full length of her arm under her lab coat. She couldn't keep her focus as a dark tunnel filled her vision and before she knew it she was passed out on the cold tile floor.

Groans and gasps escaped her as she tried to move and sit on the floor holding a hand to her ringing head. “What the shyte happened?” Her eyes focused on her hands and with horror she realized the purple wasn't a dream and was still there along her slender fingers. She tore her lab coat off and rolled up her sleeve only to see it flowed the full length of her arm and the right side of her neck. “Oh ní, tá sé seo dona.” She rubbed at her skin with the other hand and the purple was beneath the epidermis and most likely a reaction to one of her experiments. She struggled to pull herself to her feet, hunched over the lab counter to steady herself and moving towards the small restroom next to her lab. Once there she ran cold water over her hands and splashed her face to rush blood there and push away the foggy feeling that lingered. But once her eyes focused enough to see her reflection, true horror set in. Her hands shot up and met with her fiery locks, but there was more there. “What in the name of the gods are these?!” Perfectly melded to her scalp as if grown there naturally was a pair of rabbit ears, the same ginger as her hair. Each twitched and rotated with her heightened emotions and fear and her jaw nearly hit the floor in shock. “What...how...no!” Her attention instantly went to the memory of Bonny having bitten her earlier and that this must be an adverse reaction to the serum and her own anatomy. Rushing back to her lab she peered into the cage and saw the little rabbit happily sleeping, but her fur was entire purple just like her arm. “You little demon!” This was a moment where she would believe the idiotic superstitions of karma, a punishment for resorting to experiment on Bonny.

She had nearly paced a trail right through the tile floor while she thought for nearly two hours on how to reverse or fix this mishap, but every outcome was unsure and too risky for her own life. Now she could call on a fellow geneticist, or a doctor for a more proper anatomical analysis. Angela Ziegler was the only one to come to mind on both parts, both intelligent enough to provide other hypothesis as to the initial mishap and to help find a solution and cure for her current predicament. But how could she face the doctor, her girlfriend and fellow Overwatch employee...looking like this? She quickly scrambled around her lab to find a surgical cap, her panic set in and her normal stoic self was frantic as she tore through drawer after drawer. The lab was stripped clean of them, but she remembered that Angela had gotten her one as a gag gift last Christmas. The damned thing was bright purple with little rabbits on it, which seemed to be a bit of a foreshadowing now that she looked at it. With a sigh she tucked her hair and he new ears into the cap and tied it off around the back of her hair, this was going to drive her bonkers. But hopefully Angela, who was surely on her way into the lab this morning at any moment, would see the cap and only smile her cheesy little smile of sentiment. 

The labs began to fill slowly with trickling in doctors and assistants in their white lab coats and settling into their own work. All the while Moira kept pacing, holo tablet in hand typing and clicking vigorously at it. Oh shyte. She thought as she looked down to her right hand, anyone who would see it would become concerned for sure. Her frantic search began anew as she now tore through the lab trying to find the thick blue rubber gloves they saved for the rare occasion of dangerous liquids being possibly spilled on their hands. Snapping them into place she sighed at the thickness of their latex to cover up the deep purple of her hand now, no one would notice it but how ridiculous she must look right now. She had to play it all off, keep her normal calm and act like nothing is wrong, at least until she could break the sequence of this formula to be rid of this strange reaction.

The morning went on full of stress as she ran every possible solution through simulations to no avail, nothing seemed to reverse the effects and she tossed the tablet onto the lab table out of frustration before leaning over it. A soft giggle could be heard and the clicking sounds of high heels on tile as her heart nearly shot from her chest. She was here already. Moira inhaled deeply and froze her face into a serious stoic form before turning around to face Angela. She was radiant this morning and the steam from her coffee mug whisped up around her face where a smile settled on her lips. “Liebling! I never thought I'd see you actually wear that thing. It was meant as a joke you know right?” Her hand moved up to stifle a giggle at the sight of how ridiculous Moira probably looked right now. “Well I couldn't find any of the toss away ones in the lab, and this was the only one I found. So it'll have to do.” Good, play it off like it was a last resort and not by choice. Her hands fidgeted in the pockets of her lab coat hidden away form Angela's prying eyes, but her nerves wouldn't be able to take much more of this already and she had the rest of the day to deal with this. Angela sighed audibly and turned to head to her own lab, “Don't get yourself in too much trouble today, liebe.” Her hand waved over her head and away down the hallway she went along with the clicking of her heels. 

She was happy to have her lab to herself today, she had scolded and sent off her assistant last night to have a personal day today so she could get the lab back into order, and thank the gods he listened. Running every scenario possible through the computers programs over and over again with the same results popping up. Nine hours had gone by with no visible results to be found, her head was throbbing from all this overthinking so she retired to her office and settled at her desk. Resting her face down onto her arms atop her desk, she closed her eyes to rest them a bit from the holo lights of the screens she glared at all day, only to find herself dosing off for a bit.

Angela had been busy at her own research for the civilian applications of her nanites, which was exhausting considering all of the government approvals that needed to be filed for each possible use. So most of her day was spent filling out paperwork at her desk, which made her back ache and eyes burn from strain having to read all that fine print. So she decided to visit the one thing surely to make her day a bit brighter, Moira. Stretching the aches from her muscles, she gathered up all the finished paperwork and filed it away before closing down her lab for the night. Her heels clicked a bit louder at this time of day due to the lack of excess noise from the other labs, but it was a welcome sound to fill the eerie silence of the sterile environments. Once to the doorway of Moira's lab, she noticed there was no one inside, but saw the light on in her office so she must be finishing paperwork as well. Sneaking in with nearly silent steps, she arrived at the doorway of the office to see Moira slumped over her desk, surgical cap and all. She must have had a rough day of failed results to have settled down like this here, the woman never gave up until there was nothing left. Angela moved closer and stayed silent as to not wake her as she wrapped her arms around the others waist to kiss at her neck, the perfect way to wake from a nap she thought. But as she did so the strings of the cap got in the way and she pulled at it to remove it from her fiery hair. To her ultimate surprise something hefty slid free and lay over her shoulders. Angela moved away a bit to get a sight on what it was and a loud gasp rung out that made Moira shoot straight up in her chair. “What? What happened? Is the lab on fire again?” Her contrasting eyes attempted to focus as drowsiness fogged her vision, but once clear all she saw was Angela standing next to her with that damn cap in hand. That was when everything fell into place. Angela had found out about the ears. About her failure and the embarrassment of this entire situation made her face burn red. She lowered her gaze as Angela moved closer to examine the ears for herself, her gentle hands tugging at them to be sure they were real and attached to her. A giggle filled the silence of the office and as Moira's eyes shot up with anger she saw Angela with a large smile on her face and nearly crying of laughter a she pet at their velvety softness. Moira wasn't going to kid herself, Angela looked far too amused and the petting didn't exactly feel awful so she let it continue for a few more moments before removing the gloves and slipping from her lab coat to reveal her arm. “I may have had a failed experiment go awry gra. It's all Bonny's fault I assure you.” She rolled up her sleeve to show the true extent of the purple poison that had covered her arm and lowered her gaze to the floor. “I know...I'm a right idiot for letting this happen.” But before she could say anything else, Angela wrapped her arms around her and held her close to speak softly. “You aren't an idiot. I know the general has been pushing you for more results and The serum you never tested must be the culprit here right? What tests have you run to reverse it and what can I do to help?” Her tone was sincere and worried, Moira felt like a fool for not coming to her sooner and her ears flopped over the others shoulder in defeat. “I've run every possible simulation of tests and nothing has resulted in a cure.” She handed Angela the holo tablet and sighed as she sat on the edge of her desk to look over her arm once again.

Angela spent only moments looking over the data before sighing and and shaking her head with a slight smirk. “Liebling, you never thought to take a blood sample from Bonny to reverse engineer the serum and create an antidote?” Moira's eyes widened in disbelief. That was the one ting she never thought to try, simply for the fact that Bonny wasn't normally a test subject but a companion. She shot up to her feet and wrapped her arms around Angela's waist to hoist her up in a twirl as giggles filled the room from both women. “Angie you're a genius!” She kissed her as those long ears rested at the nape of her neck and Angela giggled as she pet them once more. “You know, I wish you would've told me sooner. It's a shame to be rid of them so soon, I rather like the cute look on you.”


End file.
